AthlonSports.com - Big 12http://athlonsports.com/category/cbk-conferences/big-12
enGrading the notable new college basketball coaches for 2013-14http://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/grading-notable-new-college-basketball-coaches-2013-14
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
As the coaching carousel comes to a close, we grade new faces at UCLA, USC, Minnesota and more&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/37649-1/Steve-Alford_332.jpg" style="width: 332px; height: 247px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />Coaching turnover in college basketball appears to be as tame as ever.<br /><br />With 39 coaching changes so far, the 2013-14 coaching carousel is poised to be the most inactive since in four years. In each of the last three seasons, at least 50 Division I programs changed coaches.<br /><br />Only six Division I programs have yet to select a coach, but they&rsquo;re all jobs in the low-major conferences. Now that Rutgers hired Eddie Jordan to replace Mike Rice, fired due to a player mistreatment scandal, all the big jobs have been filled.<br /><br />Given that one of college basketball&rsquo;s best destinations, UCLA, replaced its coach, the lack of major dominoes falling is somewhat of a surprise. The Bruins hired <strong>Steve Alford</strong> from New Mexico, and the Lobos responded by promoting a longtime assistant.<br /><br />The Lobos weren&rsquo;t alone in giving a coach one of his first Division I gigs. Minnesota, New Mexico, Northwestern, Rutgers and USC hired men with a combined three seasons of Division I head coaching experience.<br /><br />Here&rsquo;s a look at how the major jobs fared in the coaching carousel and a look at key hires in the mid-major and low-major ranks. Hires are graded not necessarily on the quality of the coach but how Athlon believes he will perform to the expectations of his program.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/minnesota-golden-gophers.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />MINNESOTA</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach:</strong> Richard Pitino, FIU<br /><strong>Old coach: </strong>Tubby Smith, fired; hired at Texas Tech<br />Minnesota took a bit of a risk in hiring a coach with only one season of Sun Belt head coaching experience. But this isn&rsquo;t any normal 30-year-old coach. Pitino, of course, is the son of Louisville&rsquo;s Rick Pitino and has worked on staffs with his father and one of his dad&rsquo;s star pupils in Billy Donovan. The younger Pitino&rsquo;s lone season at FIU wasn&rsquo;t too shabby, either. In the first season after the Isiah Thomas debacle, Pitino went 18-14 overall and 11-9 in the Sun Belt for FIU&rsquo;s first winning season in the league since 1999-2000. Pitino will also be the youngest coach in a league with a median age of 46.5 at the start of practice.<br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Grade:</strong> A-minus</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:16px;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/new-mexico-lobos.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />NEW MEXICO</span></strong><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Craig Neal, promoted from associate head coach<br /><strong>Old coach:</strong> Steve Alford, hired at UCLA<br />Neal has tried to get head coaching jobs before at Colorado State and his alma mater Georgia Tech, but the best fit turned out to be in Albuquerque. Neal has worked with Alford every step of the way in rebuilding New Mexico into a perennial NCAA Tournament team. Neal&#39;s promotion keeps together a core of Alex Kirk and Kendall Williams, which will make New Mexico a Mountain West favorite in his first season. Neal backfilled his assistant position by hiring Lamont Smith from Washington, who previously served as an assistant at Arizona State. Neal is considered a good Xs and Os coach, but it&rsquo;s a mystery how this career assistant will fare as a head coach.<br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Grade:</strong> B-plus</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:16px;"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/northwestern-wildcats.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />NORTHWESTERN</span><br />New coach:</strong> Chris Collins, Duke associate head coach<br /><strong>Old coach:</strong> Bill Carmody, fired<br />Like Minnesota, Northwestern opted for a young coach with a good pedigree for its basketball program. Collins, who will be 39 when the season starts, will be the second-youngest coach in the Big Ten to Richard Pitino. A former Chicago-area high school basketball star, Collins is a longtime Mike Krzyzewski assistant and the son of Doug Collins, who has spent four stints as an NBA head coach. Former Krzyzewski assistants have been a mixed bag from Mike Brey, Tommy Amaker, Jeff Capel, Johnny Dawkins and Quin Snyder. That said, hopes are high Collins can be the coach to get Northwestern to its first NCAA Tournament in school history.<br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Grade:</strong> B-plus</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/rutgers-scarlet-knights.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />RUTGERS</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Eddie Jordan, Los Angeles Lakers assistant<br /><strong>Old coach: </strong>Mike Rice, fired<br />Could Rutgers upgrade its coach despite the scandal that cost Mike Rice and athletic director Tim Pernetti their jobs? That seems possible after Rice went 44-51 in three seasons in Piscataway. Former NBA coaches don&rsquo;t always pan out on the college level, but Jordan has familiarity with Rutgers in particular. Jordan played on Rutgers&rsquo; Final Four team in 1976 and coached in the college ranks last in 1992, but that was a different era. His NBA background should help him on the recruiting trail, and his Princeton offense should work at the college level. Jordan likely will guide the transition into the Big Ten for a program that hasn&rsquo;t had a winning season since 2004 and hasn&rsquo;t reached the NCAA Tournament since 1991.<br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Grade: </strong>B-minus</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/usc-trojans.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />USC</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Andy Enfield, Florida Gulf Coast<br /><strong>Old coach: </strong>Kevin O&rsquo;Neill/Bob Cantu (interim), fired<br />How much the college basketball world laugh at USC if the Trojans hired Enfield any time before March 22? A Sweet 16 run changed everything for Enfield and USC. For the Trojans, this move brought in the hot name and a style that would seem to thrive in Los Angeles, but he has only two years of head coaching experience at the Atlantic Sun level. Bumping Enfield&rsquo;s grade here were the hires of assistants Tony Bland (San Diego State) and Jason Hart (Pepperdine) who know the terrain out West.<br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Grade: </strong>C-plus</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/ucla-bruins.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />UCLA</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Steve Alford, New Mexico<br /><strong>Old coach:</strong> Ben Howland, fired<br />In theory, UCLA should have its pick of a handful of coaches and it picked the one whose most recent performance was a loss to 14th-seeded Harvard in the NCAA Tournament. Alford won three NCAA Tournament games at New Mexico and Iowa where Howland won 15 at UCLA. Is Alford a better coach that Howland? That&rsquo;s a tough debate. But Alford is a better fit for UCLA now. Alford recruited Kendall Williams and Tony Snell out of Southern Calfornia, an area where AAU coaches soured on Howland in his latter years.<br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Grade: </strong>C</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/i.athcdn.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/texas-tech-red-raiders.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />TEXAS TECH</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Tubby Smith, Minnesota<br /><strong>Old coach:</strong> Billy Gillispie/Chris Walker (interim), fired<br />Smith is the second coach with a national title (joining Bob Knight) and second former Kentucky coach (joining Billy Gillispie) to be hired at Texas Tech since 2001. With the exception of one Sweet 16 under Knight in 2005, this strategy hasn&rsquo;t worked all that well for the Red Raiders. Smith is a fine coach, but is he a great fit for a program that needs a dose of energy to turn the program around? Smith, 61, will be the oldest coach in the Big 12.<br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Grade:</strong> D</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:20px;"><strong>OTHER HIRES ATHLON LIKES</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>BUFFALO</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Bobby Hurley, Rhode Island associate head coach<br />The former Duke point guard has been the top assistant for his brother Danny at turnaround jobs at Wagner and Rhode Island.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach:</strong> Reggie Theus, Los Angeles D-Fenders (NBA Development League)<br />Journeyman college and NBA coach went 25-9 in his last college appearance in 2006-07 at New Mexico State.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>FLORIDA GULF COAST</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Joe Dooley, Kansas assistant<br />Dooley went 57-52 at East Carolina from 1995-99 before spending the last decade on Bill Self&rsquo;s staff at Kansas.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach:</strong> Anthony Evans, Norfolk State<br />Evans led Norfolk State to a 29-3 record in the MEAC the last two seasons and defeated No. 2 seed Missouri in the NCAA Tournament in 2012.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>HOFSTRA</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach:</strong> Joe Mihalich, Niagara<br />The MAAC&rsquo;s all-time wins leader (265-203 in 15 years at Niagara) gets a change of scenery at Hofstra.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>OLD DOMINION</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Jeff Jones, American<br />Old Dominion moves into Conference USA with a coach who has 357 career wins at Virginia and American.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>SAINT LOUIS</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Jim Crews, promoted from interim coach<br />After the passing of Rick Majerus, Crews did a great job holding the program together with a regular season and tournament title in the Atlantic 10. Now, the former Evansville and Army coach as the job for the long term.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>SIENA</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Jimmy Patsos, Loyola (Md.)<br />Siena won 77 games and made three NCAA Tournaments in Fran McCaffery&rsquo;s final three seasons before falling apart under Mitch Buonaguro. A longtime Gary Williams assistant at Maryland, Patsos won 47 games in the last two seasons at Loyola. The two coaches who preceded him won 48 games total in seven seasons.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>SOUTH ALABAMA</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach:</strong> Matthew Graves, Butler assistant<br />A Butler player and assistant, Graves is making his first foray outside of the state of Indiana in his career.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>TEXAS STATE</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach:</strong> Danny Kaspar, Stephen F. Austin<br />At Stephen F. Austin since 2000-01, Kaspar is more than ready for a step up to the Sun Belt. The Lumberjacks averaged 23 wins a season in his final six years at SFA.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>UMKC</strong></span><br /><strong>New coach: </strong>Kareem Richardson, Louisville assistant<br />Richard joins a long list of Pitino assistants to take head coaching jobs in recent seasons including Enfield, Richard Pitino, Steve Masiello (Manhattan), Marvin Menzies (New Mexico State), Kevin Willard (Seton Hall). Not to mention Billy Donovan and Mick Cronin.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-56 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/ucla-bruins">UCLA Bruins</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/new-mexico-lobos">New Mexico Lobos</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/texas-tech-red-raiders">Texas Tech Red Raiders</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/rutgers-scarlet-knights">Rutgers Scarlet Knights</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/usc-trojans">USC Trojans</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/minnesota-gophers">Minnesota Gophers</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/northwestern">Northwestern</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-55 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div>Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:15:26 +0000David Fox21075 at http://athlonsports.comBill Self Drains Shot in Front of Crowdhttp://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/bill-self-drains-shot-front-crowd
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Since 2003, Kansas head coach Bill Self has been consistently producing championship caliber teams and players. And though he may be 52 years old, he apparently still has plenty of game left in him. While in South Korea for the World University Games, Self showed some students what he can still do. With a ball in his hand and a crowd present, Self drained six straight long-range two jumpers.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Not only did he go perfect from deep, but he also made it look effortless. From 1981-1985, Self was an integral part of the basketball team at Oklahoma State. Maybe if he ever needs somebody to step into a game, he could just sub himself right in.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/at2UNt0JERE" width="560"></iframe></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-56 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/kansas-jayhakws">Kansas Jayhakws</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-55 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
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</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">New SEC Commissioner, John Calipari Support Removing Confederate Flags</div></div></div>Wed, 01 Jul 2015 20:15:17 +0000Josh Hamburger104333 at http://athlonsports.comWest Virginia's Bob Huggins Rips TV Expertshttp://athlonsports.com/bob-huggins-rips-tv-experts
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">WVU Coach Bob Huggins rips basketball analysts for picking against West Virginia</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/47071-1/BobHuggins_2012_300.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 327px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />West Virginia entered the opening round of the NCAA Tournament with TV experts hyping the return of Bobby Hurley, and with Buffalo planted firmly in their minds.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The country had not&nbsp;heard from Buffalo all season, but due to Hurley on the bench, the Bulls were poised to pull the upset of the tourney. The bad news for the Bulls was, Hurley couldn&rsquo;t play. Although much of the broadcast was about the former Duke national champion, he did not make&nbsp;a shot, grab a rebound or have an assist.&nbsp;When it comes to shocking losses, ask Baylor and Iowa State.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Before the ink could dry on the bracket, analysts had the Bulls winning the No. 12 vs. No. 5 matchup. Three of those people beating the drum were&nbsp;Doug Gottlieb, Seth Davis and Jay Bilas.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Enter Bob Huggins.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>When asked about the predictions, Huggins didn&rsquo;t hold back.&nbsp;Huggs said he doesn&rsquo;t put much stock in predictions from <strong>&ldquo;a guy who couldn&rsquo;t shoot 50 percent at the free-throw line and another guy who played intramurals at Duke.&rdquo;</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>After West Virginia defeated Buffalo 68-62 to advance to the next round, Huggins would turn his attention to Bilas.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really going to have to lose&nbsp;my mind when I start paying attention to what Jay Bilas and those people say,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=107632" target="_blank"><u><font color="#0c036c">Huggins said via ASAP Sports</font></u></a>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;Jay always does those tweets, gotta go to work, I&rsquo;m trying to wonder what that is. But I don&rsquo;t pay any attention to those guys. I mean really, honestly, if they knew everything they probably would have a pretty good coaching job making a lot more money than they&rsquo;re making sitting there in the studio. So we don&rsquo;t pay any attention to that.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Since then, West Virginia continues to prove the doubters wrong, and that continued on Sunday evening when the Mountaineers defeated Maryland 69-59.&nbsp;WVU will now face overall No. 1 seed and undefeated Kentucky on Thursday night.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;It seems like everywhere we go people say, well, it&rsquo;s not pretty,&rdquo; said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins. &ldquo;Well I think it&rsquo;s beautiful. I love it. I love the fact that we can not make shots and still win &ndash; still find a way to score.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Huggins added,&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard work. It&rsquo;s hard and it comes down to having a lot of heart.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While most of the country is laughing at the idea of West Virginia pulling off the upset on Thursday, the Mountaineers will enter the contest with every intention of winning.&nbsp;This team has no fear, and they don&rsquo;t fear Kentucky.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t tell you we are going to win, but I can tell you we aren&rsquo;t going to be scared.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Now the stage is set for old friends to face each other&nbsp;once again, and Huggins knows both sides will be ready.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not another game because it&rsquo;s the Sweet 16,&rdquo; said Huggins. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the NCAA Tournament and it&rsquo;s one-and-done, so you just can&rsquo;t say it&rsquo;s another game. I just told our guys to make sure they know (Kentucky coach John Calipari) is going to have them ready to go.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>West Virginia and Kentucky is set for a 9:45 p.m. ET tip on CBS on Thursday. The Wildcats opened as a 12.5-point favorite.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>&mdash; Written by Jeremy Simon, who&nbsp;is part of the Athlon Contributor Network and editor-in-chief of <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bluegoldsports.com/" target="_blank">BlueGoldSports.com</a>, a must visit for any and all West Virginia Mountaineer fans. Follow BlueGoldSports.com on Twitter <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/Blue_GoldSports" target="_blank">@Blue_GoldSports</a>.</em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-56 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/west-virginia-mountaineers">West Virginia Mountaineers</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-55 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-48 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CFB Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
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</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The East is the NCAA Tournament&#039;s Weirdest Region in 11 Years</div></div></div>Mon, 23 Mar 2015 16:45:00 +0000Jeremy Simon100103 at http://athlonsports.com2015 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament Previewhttp://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/big-12-tournament-preview
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Main Header Image</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">BGS Previews the first and second round matchups in the Big 12 Tournament</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Saturday&rsquo;s&nbsp;slate of regular-season finales finished up what&rsquo;s been a brutal Big 12 regular season schedule.&nbsp;With just three days until tournament play begins, March Madness is officially here.</p><p>Wednesday marks the start of the Big 12&nbsp;tournament with the play-in games, beginning with Kansas State and TCU.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Wednesday, March 11</h4><p><strong>No. 8 KSU</strong> (15-16, 8-10 Big 12) vs. <strong>No. 9 TCU </strong>(17-14, 4-14 Big 12), 7 p.m. ET</p><p>Kansas State experienced the definition of an up and down season. On the bright side, the unranked Wildcats knocked off two top-25 teams in their last three games of the regular season, including a 70-63 win over Kansas. KSU followed up with a 70-69 win over Iowa State, but fell flat in the regular season finale against Texas.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas State is led by sophomore Marcus Foster, who leads the team with 12.9 points per game.&nbsp;TCU, on the other hand, got the season started on a 13-game win-streak, but struggled in conference play, with the only notable win coming over then-ranked No. 20 Oklahoma State.&nbsp;TCU did manage a season-sweep over Texas Tech and split games with KSU, falling in the first meeting 58-53.&nbsp;The Horned Frogs followed up with a convincing 69-55 win in their second meeting on Feb. 18.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>No. 7 Texas</strong> (19-12, 8-10 Big 12) vs. <strong>No. 10 Texas Tech </strong>(13-18, 3-15 Big 12), 9:30 p.m. ET</p><p>Two separate four-game losing streaks tarnished an otherwise solid season by the Texas Longhorns.&nbsp;Against ranked opponents this year, the Longhorns managed just two wins, coming against WVU (77-50) and Baylor (61-59).&nbsp;After enduring a second, four-game skid, Texas closed the season with wins over Baylor and Kansas State to pick up a bit of momentum prior to the first-round game of the conference tournament.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Sophomore Isaiah Taylor has been the go-to guy for Texas, averaging over 13 points per game.&nbsp;Texas has also used its inside size advantage with Cameron Ridley to its advantage as well.&nbsp;The Longhorns get the maligned Texas Tech Red Raiders, who managed just three conference wins this season.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In their two previous meetings this season, Texas won in convincing fashion by scores of 70-61 and 56-41.&nbsp;Although the Red Raiders managed just three conference wins this year, the biggest of the season came on&nbsp;Jan. 24&nbsp;over then-ranked No. 9 ISU.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Thursday, March 12</h4><p><strong>No. 4 Baylor</strong> (23-8, 11-7 Big 12) vs. <strong>No. 5 WVU</strong> (23-8, 11-7 Big 12), 12:30 p.m. ET</p><p>During their first meeting this year, the Baylor Bears exerted their will on WVU and walked out of the Coliseum with an 87-69 win.&nbsp;Baylor completed the sweep over the Mountaineers last weekend, but WVU showed much more promise against Baylor in Waco, especially considering the Mountaineers were without seniors Juwan Staten and most of regulation without Gary Browne.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Three minutes into the game, Browne was injured chasing after a loose ball and has since been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.&nbsp;Neither have played since Feb. 24.&nbsp;Still, Baylor was able to finish the sweep with a 78-66 victory.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Bears have built quite the resume for the postseason, entering the Big 12 tournament with a sweep of Iowa State, WVU and season splits with Oklahoma and Texas.&nbsp;In the final two games of the season, Baylor has struggled to finish, with an overtime loss to Texas and a slim 77-74 win over Texas Tech in&nbsp;Saturday&rsquo;s&nbsp;finale.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>For the Mountaineers, it&rsquo;s been a game of attrition, trying to find ways to stay competitive with no Gary Browne or Juwan Staten.&nbsp;Despite falling in two of the final three games, WVU rebounded with a convincing 81-72 win over Oklahoma State.&nbsp;Filling the void left by Browne (7 ppg, 1.8 reb.) and Staten (14.5 ppg, 2.8 reb.) has been the talent group of youngsters led by Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles Jr. and Tarik Phillip.&nbsp;With both Staten and Browne&rsquo;s availability still in the air, WVU must be prepared to go forward without the availability of the two senior guards.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>No. 1 Kansas</strong> (24-7, 13-5 Big 12) vs.<strong> KSU/TCU</strong> winner, 2:30 p.m. ET</p><p>The Jayhawks are used to winning. So it&rsquo;s no surprise that Kansas locked up its 11th-straight regular season conference title and enter the Big 12 tournament as the undisputed No. 1 seed.</p><p>Kansas, like WVU, might potentially have to play without two key cogs in the machine in the postseason.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Cliff Alexander has been sidelined for over a week now while the NCAA investigated reports that said Alexander potentially accepted impermissible benefits.&nbsp;Making matters worse, the Jayhawks saw standout Perry Ellis injure his knee against West Virginia last week.&nbsp;Ellis was eventually diagnosed with a &ldquo;sprained knee&rdquo;, but underwent treatment with the hopes of being ready for tournament play.&nbsp;After sitting out&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;against Oklahoma, coach Bill Self hopes to have Ellis and his 14.2 points per game back&nbsp;on Thursday.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As a team, it was another stellar year for the Jayhawks, but did see losses at Iowa State (86-81), WVU (62-61) and Oklahoma (75-73).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>No. 2 Iowa State </strong>(22-8, 12-6 Big 12) vs. <strong>Texas/Texas Tech</strong> winner, 7 p.m. ET</p><p>The 2014-2015 season marked another year the Iowa State Cyclones finished hot on the heels of the Kansas Jayhawks in regular season play.&nbsp;The Cyclones average over 79 points per game and picked up key wins along the way throughout some of the conference&rsquo;s best competition, including a 74-72 win over WVU, a 77-70 win over Oklahoma and an 86-81 win over eventual champion Kansas.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Cyclones capped off their regular season with wins over Oklahoma and TCU, with the win over Oklahoma giving ISU the No. 2 seed in the tournament.&nbsp;Big 12 Player of the Year contender Georges Niang has been the spark plug for the Cyclones.&nbsp;The junior forward averages over 15 points per game and more than five rebounds a game.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Whichever team wins between Texas and Texas Tech still heavily favors the Cyclones, even away from the Hilton Coliseum.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>No. 3 Oklahoma </strong>(21-9, 12-7 Big 12) vs. <strong>No. 6 Oklahoma State</strong> (18-12, 8-10 Big 12), 9:30 p.m. ET</p><p>Oklahoma rode the back of its workhorse Buddy Hield to the No. 3 seed in the tournament.&nbsp;Hield, who averaged 17.4 points per game claimed the Big 12 top honor as player of the year.</p><p>It&rsquo;s no shock that Hield is one of the main reasons Oklahoma is now a postseason contender.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Oklahoma stacked an impressive year that saw big victories against Iowa State, Kansas and WVU.&nbsp;The Sooners finished the regular season with a 75-73 win over the Jayhawks on senior day.</p><p>Things haven&rsquo;t been as favorable for the Cowboys this season. &nbsp;In the final stretch of the regular season, the Cowboys posted just a 1-5 record, including losses to Texas Tech and TCU.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Even though the odds are stacked against the Cowboys&nbsp;on Thursday, Oklahoma State does have a top-10 win over the Jayhawks to their credit.&nbsp;Senior Le&rsquo;Bryan Nash leads the team with nearly 17 points per game.&nbsp;Junior Phil Forte III has been potent for the Cowboys on the offensive end of the floor as well, scoring over 15 points per game as well.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Friday, March 13</h4><p>Thursday&nbsp;afternoon winners&nbsp;6 p.m.</p><p>Thursday&nbsp;evening winners&nbsp;8 p.m.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Saturday, March 14</h4><p>Big 12 Championship&nbsp;5 p.m.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>&mdash; Written by Chris Siers for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bluegoldsports.com/" target="_blank">BlueGoldSports.com</a>, a must visit for any and all West Virginia Mountaineer fans and part of the Athlon Sports Contributor Network. Follow BlueGoldSports.com on Twitter <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/Blue_GoldSports" target="_blank">@Blue_GoldSports</a>.</em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-56 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/west-virginia-mountaineers">West Virginia Mountaineers</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/baylor-bears">Baylor Bears</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/texas-longhorns">Texas Longhorns</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/texas-tech-red-raiders">Texas Tech Red Raiders</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/oklahoma-sooners">Oklahoma Sooners</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/oklahoma-st-cowboys">Oklahoma St Cowboys</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/tcu-horned-frogs">TCU Horned Frogs</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/iowa-state-cyclones">Iowa State Cyclones</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/kansas-jayhawks">Kansas Jayhawks</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/kansas-st-wildcats">Kansas St Wildcats</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-55 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-48 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CFB Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-49 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CFB Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/bowling-green-falcons">Bowling Green Falcons</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
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</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Dummies&#039; Guide to March Madness 2015</div></div></div>Tue, 10 Mar 2015 13:00:00 +0000Jeremy Simon99185 at http://athlonsports.comFormer Mountaineer Quarterback Clint Trickett Lands Coaching Jobhttp://athlonsports.com/college-football/former-mountaineer-clint-trickett-lands-coaching-job
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">After Retiring From Playing Former Mountaineer Clint Trickett Joins the Coaching Ranks</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/45296-1/ClintTrickett300.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 327px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />Former Mountaineer QB Clint Trickett has been hired as the quarterbacks coach at East Mississippi Community College according to multiple&nbsp;sources.&nbsp; EMCC is coming off a perfect season that ended with the Lions winning their third National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national championship in the last four years.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Trickett announced before the Liberty Bowl in December that his playing career had come to an end after suffering multiple concussions over the last two seasons. He now joins the family business in the collegiate coaching ranks. His&nbsp;father, Rick,&nbsp;is currently the offensive coordinator at Florida State while his older brother Travis is the co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach&nbsp;at Samford.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Clint Trickett transferred to West Virginia from Florida State and would up playing 19 games over two seasons for the Mountaineers. According to&nbsp;his father, Clint has always aspired to be a quarterbacks coach. Trickett now gets to fulfill that dream with his first coaching job at one of the best junior colleges in the nation.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>&mdash; Written by Jeremy Simon, who&nbsp;is part of the Athlon Contributor Network and editor-in-chief of <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bluegoldsports.com/" target="_blank">BlueGoldSports.com</a>, a must visit for any and all West Virginia Mountaineer fans. Follow BlueGoldSports.com on Twitter <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/Blue_GoldSports" target="_blank">@Blue_GoldSports</a>.</em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-56 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/west-virginia-mountaineers">West Virginia Mountaineers</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-55 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-48 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CFB Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-49 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CFB Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-teams/west-virginia-mountaineers">West Virginia Mountaineers</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-50 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CFB Players:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cfb-players/clint-trickett">Clint Trickett</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
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</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Big 12 2015 Spring Preview and Power Rankings</div></div></div>Wed, 04 Mar 2015 18:00:00 +0000Jeremy Simon98793 at http://athlonsports.comTexas Longhorns Have Sights Set on Strong Finish in Hopes of Making NCAA Tournament Fieldhttp://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/texas-longhorns-have-sights-set-strong-finish-hopes-making-ncaa-tournament-field
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Rick Barnes’ Texas Longhorns Have Sights Set on Strong Finish in Hopes of Making NCAA Tournament Field</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Other than which player will line up under center for Charlie Strong&rsquo;s football team in the season opener against Notre Dame on September 5th, there isn&rsquo;t a hotter topic in Austin than the future of the Texas Longhorns&rsquo; basketball program &ndash; on multiple levels.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Texas (18-12), <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.hornsports.com/forums/topic/8398-big-12s-preseason-basketball-poll/?p=116623" target="_blank">picked to finish second</a> in the Big 12 Basketball Preseason Poll, has largely underperformed this season, and head coach Rick Barnes has taken plenty of criticism as a result. The Longhorns currently sit in eighth place in league standings, and will be forced to play on Day 1 of the Big 12 Tournament, which starts March 11 in Kansas City. &nbsp;It&rsquo;s not the ideal spot for Texas to be in by any stretch of the imagination.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Considered by most bracketology gurus as being on the fringe of making the field of 68, the Longhorns have showed well as of late. Texas <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.hornsports.com/articles/texas-longhorns-basketball/on-the-brink-r4504" target="_blank">took Kansas to the brink</a> in Lawrence last weekend and followed up the heartbreaking loss by beating then-No. 14-ranked Baylor in overtime on Monday, courtesy of <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.hornsports.com/forums/topic/9806-isaiah-taylors-game-winning-shot-vs-baylor/" target="_blank">Isaiah Taylor&rsquo;s game-winning shot</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Without knowing for certain how much is &ldquo;enough&rdquo; to secure a spot in this year&rsquo;s Big Dance, the Longhorns must keep winning. A win over Kansas State in the regular-season finale and a win in their opening game of the Big 12 Tournament should be enough to solidify a spot. It would give Texas, who has a current RPI of 39, a 20-win season, including victories over three teams in the RPI&rsquo;s top 50 (Baylor, West Virginia and Iowa).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Conversely, if the Longhorns stumble and fail to make the NCAA Tournament, it would mark only the second time doing so in Rick Barnes&rsquo; 18-year tenure at Texas. While impressive in itself, expectations have not changed in Austin and the fact remains the Longhorns haven&rsquo;t made it to the Final Four since 2003.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Texas seemingly needs its 11th hour winning streak to continue to ensure a spot on college basketball&rsquo;s biggest stage, which would most likely settle down Barnes&rsquo; critics &ndash; at least temporarily.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>&mdash; Written by Aaron Carrara, who&nbsp;is part of the Athlon Contributor Network and co-publisher of <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.hornsports.com/" target="_blank">HornSports.com </a>(and <a href="http://twitter.com/HornSports">@HornSports</a>), your source for Texas sports and recruiting news.</em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-56 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/texas-longhorns">Texas Longhorns</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-55 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
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</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ranking the Nation&#039;s Top Football-Basketball Coaching Tandems</div></div></div>Wed, 04 Mar 2015 17:30:00 +0000Aaron Carrara98795 at http://athlonsports.comWest Virginia's Non-Conference Schedule Could Impact Mountaineers' NCAA Tournament Seedhttp://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/west-virginias-non-conference-schedule-could-impact-mountaineers-ncaa-tournament
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">West Virginia&#039;s Non-Conference Schedule Could Impact Mountaineers&#039; NCAA Tournament Seed</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/47071-1/BobHuggins_2012_300.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 327px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />As the regular season comes to an end West Virginia currently sits in a three-way for third place in the Big 12 with two games remaining. The two-game gap between the Mountaineers and Kansas means WVU still has a shot a share of the Big 12 regular season title. At 22-7 overall, the Mountaineers are guaranteed to hear their name called on Selection Sunday. However, most projections, including <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bluegoldsports.com/wvu-moves-up-in-latest-usa-today-bracketology-forces-texas-to-bubble/" target="_blank">USA Today</a>, still have the Mountaineers as a No. 6 seed. The question is why?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Although the Mountaineers sit at 10-6 in arguably the toughest basketball conference in the nation, their RPI is still 22. The problem WVU is facing now is not something it can fix, at least not this season. WVU currently has a non-conference strength of schedule ranking of 227. It should be noted that its non-conference RPI is 9. Unfortunately, there are teams the Mountaineers have played that have not helped the cause in the least and I think everyone knows where I am going with this.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>After the Marshall game, WVU coach <strong>Bob Huggins</strong> expressed his feelings regarding the yearly series with the in-state rival. He stated that it was not beneficial to play them and it looks as though he was correct. Marshall currently boasts an RPI of 299, making the Thundering Herd the worst team WVU has played this season. While many felt Huggins&rsquo; rant was solely in response to Marshall head coach Dan D&#39;Antoni, it is now obvious his statements regarding the series are valid no matter the reasoning. Huggins did go on to say that he would like his team&rsquo;s non-conference schedule to consist of teams that were ranked in the RPI&rsquo;s top 100.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>WVU still has the opportunity to improve its seeding moving forward with games against the aforementioned Jayhawks and Oklahoma State remaining before the Big 12 Tournament. However, some early non-conference games have hurt the Mountaineers. Don&#39;t get me wrong, the Wofford and NC State wins are big resume builders as NC State is looking like an NCAA Tournament team and Wofford finished the season at 25-6 and is favored to get the Southern Conference&rsquo;s automatic bid by winning its tournament. However, there&rsquo;s still reason for the Mountaineers to be somewhat concerned based on these earlier non-conference matchups and the current RPI of those teams:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Marshall (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bluegoldsports.com/wvu-steals-on-from-herd-in-capital-city-classic/" target="_blank">W 69-66</a>) RPI 292</p><p>Northern Kentucky (W <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bluegoldsports.com/wvu-downs-outmanned-nku-67-42/" target="_blank">67-42</a>) RPI 267</p><p>College of Charleston (W <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bluegoldsports.com/wvu-basketball-holton-leads-mountaineers-86-57/" target="_blank">86-57</a>) RPI 295</p><p>Monmouth (W <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bluegoldsports.com/west-virginia-survives-scare/" target="_blank">64-54</a>) RPI 189</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Looking at the overall body of work, WVU has a very impressive resume with five wins over teams that appear poised to make the NCAA Tournament. However, it is now clear that Huggins had a valid point regarding the Mountaineers&rsquo; non-conference schedule. The Mountaineers are also just 4-7 against the RPI top 50 this season. The only team with a higher RPI and a worse record against the RPI top 50 is North Carolina at 3-8.However, the Tar Heels have the second-toughest schedule in the nation, while the Mountaineers&rsquo; strength of schedule sits at 40.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>&mdash; Written by Jeremy Simon, who&nbsp;is part of the Athlon Contributor Network and editor-in-chief of <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bluegoldsports.com/" target="_blank">BlueGoldSports.com</a>, a must visit for any and all West Virginia Mountaineer fans. Follow BlueGoldSports.com on Twitter <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/Blue_GoldSports" target="_blank">@Blue_GoldSports</a>.</em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-56 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/west-virginia-mountaineers">West Virginia Mountaineers</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-55 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
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</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Every Night&#039;s Best College Basketball Game from Now until the End of the Season</div></div></div>Mon, 02 Mar 2015 16:30:00 +0000Jeremy Simon98704 at http://athlonsports.comCollege Basketball 2014-15: Oklahoma Sooners Team Previewhttp://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-2014-15-oklahoma-sooners-team-preview
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">College Basketball 2014-15: Oklahoma Sooners Team Preview</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.athlonsports.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_469&amp;products_id=23903" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://shop.athlonsports.com/images/14-Okla-OSU_v419.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 332px; margin: 4px; float: right;" /></a>Now entering his fourth season and surveying a roster he&rsquo;s built, Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger likes what he sees.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;We love the guys we have in the program,&rdquo; Kruger says. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re a group that is easy to watch and fun to cheer for from a Sooner fan perspective.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>And it&rsquo;s a group that&rsquo;s contributed to steady progress, with four starters returning, including leading scorer Buddy Hield, from last season&rsquo;s 23&ndash;10 squad that finished second in the Big 12.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Still, true progress is measured in NCAA Tournament wins. And while OU has earned its way into the bracket the past two years, they&rsquo;ve exited quickly, sticking around for just one game each time.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;I like where we&rsquo;re at,&rdquo; Kruger says. &ldquo;Always like to be further along and further ahead. We&rsquo;ve got to keep working at it. We&rsquo;ve got to keep making progress. I think we&rsquo;ve got young guys in the program now that understand that.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>The Oklahoma edition is one of dozens available&nbsp;in our </strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.athlonsports.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_469&amp;products_id=23903" target="_blank"><strong>online store</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;and on newsstands everywhere now.</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Frontcourt</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ryan Spangler needs help. And whether or not he gets it could swing the Sooners ahead &mdash; or hold them back. At 6-8, Spangler is best suited for a power forward role, as a face-up shooter with versatile skills. Forced to play center a year ago, he faced a grind that took a physical toll and frequently landed him in foul trouble. Still, he averaged 9.6 points and a team-high 9.3 rebounds, shooting 58.4 percent from the floor &mdash; numbers that could easily expand under less stress.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The ideal hope for help lies with the NCAA&rsquo;s ruling on transfer TaShawn Thomas, who is seeking a waiver in the wake of a coaching change at his former school, Houston. Thomas, a 6-8, 240-pounder with the body to play the post, led the Cougars with 15.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game and ranked No. 14 nationally with a 59.1 field goal percentage. A tandem of Spangler and Thomas would be formidable.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If Thomas fails in his appeal, the Sooners could be scrambling. Veteran D.J. Bennett is a solid defender and shot-blocker, but is limited offensively. C.J. Cole is a sophomore who has been slow to assert himself. Dante Buford is the most advanced of a promising group of freshmen, yet packs just 208 pounds on his 6-7 frame.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr /><p><strong><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/oklahoma-sooners.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />Oklahoma Sooners Facts &amp; Figures</strong></p><p><strong>Last season: </strong>23-10, 12-6 Big 12</p><p><strong>Postseason:</strong> NCAA round of 64</p><p><strong>Consecutive NCAA appearances: </strong>2</p><p><strong>Coach:</strong> Lon Kruger (58-38 at Oklahoma, 28-26 Big 12)</p><p><strong>Big 12 Projection: </strong>Fourth</p><p><strong>Postseason Projection: </strong>NCAA Round of 32</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr /><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Backcourt</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Sooners are loaded at the guard spots, despite Je&rsquo;lon Hornbeak&rsquo;s exit in search of more playing time at Monmouth.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Hield emerged as one of the Big 12&rsquo;s best, averaging 16.5 points and leading the team with 90 3-pointers in his sophomore season. And Kruger believes Hield can do even more by meshing the attacking style he displayed as a freshman with the catch-and-shoot skills seen in his second season.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;That combination of the two years, where he&rsquo;s attacking more, although we want him to keep shooting it well,&rdquo; Kruger says. &ldquo;We&rsquo;d want him to get back to attacking the paint and finishing at the free throw line, if not the rim.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Jordan Woodard seized the point guard spot as a freshman a year ago, starting every game and leading the team in assists (4.6 apg) while scoring at a 10.3 clip. He also proved fearless, taking and making several big shots late in games.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Isaiah Cousins also returns as a starter, having survived a scary situation after an errant gunshot lodged in the back of his shoulder. A full recovery is expected.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Junior college transfer Dinjiyl Walker can play either guard spot and is being counted on to backup Woodard at the point after Hornbeak&rsquo;s departure. Frank Booker gave the Sooners a boost off the bench a year ago, when he hit 36.8 percent from 3-point range. He could see his role increase.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Final Analysis</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>After consecutive seasons of going one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament, last season as a favorite, the Sooners are yearning for more &mdash; much more. The reality of taking the next step is tied to beefing up production in the paint.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The guards are good, among the league&rsquo;s best as a group. Yet if the Sooners can&rsquo;t find balance, and Spangler remains out of position, their postseason potential will be limited again.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been to the tournament now a couple of years,&rdquo; Kruger says. &ldquo;Now we want to go farther in the tournament and win games in the tournament. That&rsquo;s the challenge that lies ahead.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Newcomers</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>TaShawn Thomas started 96 career games at Houston, averaging 14.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots over three seasons. He&rsquo;ll be a major addition to the frontcourt if he&rsquo;s granted immediate eligibility. Dante Buford could be asked to contribute immediately up front. A home school star in Houston, Khadeem Lattin is a skilled big man who could be a future star. Jamuni McNeace is a bit of a project who needs to bulk up.&nbsp;</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-56 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/oklahoma-sooners">Oklahoma Sooners</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-55 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
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</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">College Basketball: Ranking the Big 12 Coaches for 2014-15</div></div></div>Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:00:59 +0000Athlon Sports85965 at http://athlonsports.comCollege Basketball 2014-15: Kansas State Wildcats Team Previewhttp://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-2014-15-kansas-state-wildcats-team-preview
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">College Basketball 2014-15: Kansas State Wildcats Team Preview</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.athlonsports.com/images/14-Kansas-KSU-WSU_v412.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://shop.athlonsports.com/images/14-Kansas-KSU-WSU_v412.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 332px; margin: 4px; float: right;" /></a>For a coach who promotes daily competition, the end of last season was difficult on Bruce Weber. Though Kansas State made it back to the NCAA Tournament, its roster wasn&rsquo;t healthy enough to properly prepare for the postseason.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;We couldn&rsquo;t go five-on-five that last month because we didn&rsquo;t have any of our big guys,&rdquo; Weber says. &ldquo;They played in games, but they didn&rsquo;t practice. Our scout squad got a lot of action.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The result: A 20-win season that exceeded most expectations ended with a whimper. The Wildcats lost their final four games, including a 56&ndash;49 setback to Kentucky in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A better fate is expected this season. Marcus Foster, Wesley Iwundu, Thomas Gipson and Nino Williams form a talented nucleus. And a group of promising newcomers, led by Maine transfer Justin Edwards and freshman Malek Harris, appears poised to replace the loss of only one full-time starter.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;The best thing is the competitiveness of it all,&rdquo; Weber says. &ldquo;They have to come every day and earn minutes. If they aren&rsquo;t working in practice, there is somebody else there. We didn&rsquo;t have that last year.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>The Kansas State edition is one of dozens available&nbsp;in our </strong><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.athlonsports.com/images/14-Kansas-KSU-WSU_v412.jpg" target="_blank"><strong>online store</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;and on newsstands everywhere now.</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Frontcourt</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>K-State will have a new &mdash; and bigger &mdash; look inside. Instead of spreading the floor with four guards with Gipson down on the block all by himself, the Wildcats will use multiple big men this season. Gipson, who averaged 11.7 points and led the team in both rebounding (6.5 rpg) and field goal shooting (.562), will remain the leader of the group, but he will have much more support and the freedom to play both power forward and center.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Stephen Hurt, a highly regarded junior college transfer, and Georgetown transfer Brandon Bolden will add much-needed size. Hurt had a promising start to his college career at Lipscomb, and the 6-11, 260-pounder is eager to return to Division I action after a stop at Northwestern Florida State College. Bolden hasn&rsquo;t scored in a live game since high school, but the 6-11 shot-blocker will bring both athleticism and defense to the floor.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Williams, an undersized power forward, had some big moments last year, including 15 points in a win over Oklahoma State and 20 points in an overtime loss to Baylor. Reserve forward/center D.J. Johnson will also try to build on his promising finish to his sophomore season.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr /><p><strong><img alt="" src="http://i.athcdn.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/teams/college-football/logos/100x100/kansas-state-wildcats.png" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />Kansas State Facts &amp; Figures</strong></p><p><strong>Last season: </strong>20-13, 10-8 Big 12</p><p><strong>Postseason:</strong> NCAA round of 64</p><p><strong>Consecutive NCAA appearances: </strong>5</p><p><strong>Coach:</strong> Bruce Weber (47-21 at Kansas State, 10-8 Big 12)</p><p><strong>Big 12 Projection: </strong>Fifth</p><p><strong>Postseason Projection: </strong>NCAA Round of 32</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr /><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Backcourt</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Foster was one of the biggest surprises in college basketball last season. A lightly regarded recruit, the Texas native emerged as Kansas State&rsquo;s No. 1 option on offense as a freshman and led the team with a 15.5-point average.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Don&rsquo;t be surprised, however, if Edwards becomes the Wildcats&rsquo; leading scorer this season. The 6-4 Canadian, regarded as an outstanding athlete and a prodigious dunker, averaged 16.7 points as a sophomore at Maine two years ago. On the flip side, he only shot 27.3 percent from 3-point range and averaged 4.0 turnovers.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Foster and Edwards are natural shooting guards, which could make it tough to play them both at the same time for long stretches without a true point guard on the court. Foster has worked hard on his ball-handling in the offseason in an effort to help Nigel Johnson and Jevon Thomas at the point.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Iwundu and Harris, both 6-7, will both play significant minutes. Iwundu started in 32 games as a freshman and scored in double figures on eight occasions. Harris was a top-100 national recruit who might also see time at the 4.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Final Analysis</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas State hasn&rsquo;t advanced past the NCAA Tournament&rsquo;s round of 64 since 2012 and hasn&rsquo;t reached the Sweet 16 since 2010. Both those streaks could come to an end this season if things fall into place. The Wildcats have talent, depth and versatility. That combination doesn&rsquo;t always add up to success. Team chemistry is never a given, and adjusting to new lineups can be difficult.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Still, K-State has a roster ready to compete for a Big 12 championship and to win in March.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be about coming together,&rdquo; Foster says. &ldquo;Everybody is so good. All of these guys have already played college basketball before. We won&rsquo;t be going through a learning experience like we did last year. It will just be about meshing as a team.&rdquo;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4 class="athlon-medium-title" style="font-family:helveticaneue-medium,helvetica;font-size:26px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;">Newcomers</h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Justin Edwards, a Maine transfer, was a star in practice last year. Brandon Bolden, a 6-11 Georgetown transfer, is already ready to contribute after a year off. Junior college transfer Stephen Hurt will provide much-needed size, while freshman guard Tre Harris should help as a shooter. Malek Harris, a late addition, is the highest-rated recruit Bruce Weber has signed since coming to K-State.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-56 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-teams/kansas-state-wildcats">Kansas State Wildcats</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-55 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
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</div></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-exclude-from-feeds field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Exclude From Games:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Include In Games</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-previous-article field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Previous Article:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">College Basketball: Ranking the Big 12 Coaches for 2014-15</div></div></div>Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:00:52 +0000Athlon Sports85966 at http://athlonsports.comCollege Basketball 2014-15: Big 12 Predictions and Awardshttp://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-2014-15-big-12-predictions-and-awards
<div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">College Basketball 2014-15: Big 12 Predictions and Awards</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.athlonsports.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_469&amp;products_id=23885" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://shop.athlonsports.com/images/14-Kansas-KSU-WSU_v412.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 332px; margin: 4px; float: right;" /></a>Normally, one team enjoying a decade of dominance in a particular conference would be cause for concern.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Kansas has won at least a share of 10 consecutive Big 12 titles, but the league is anything but dull even if the Jayhawks manage to win the conference title every season.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The 10-team league produced seven NCAA Tournament teams last season, and every team in the league besides TCU was a threat on a nightly basis.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Asking the Big 12 to replicate that kind of balance and consistent entertainment will be tough, but this league will try.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>At the top, Kansas reloads as usual with freshmen Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre stepping in for Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. The Jayhawks should have a bona fide challenger in Texas, which adds five-star freshman Myles Turner to a core that saved Rick Barnes&rsquo; job a year ago.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Iowa State brings in a handful of impact transfers as again, and Oklahoma and Kansas State figure to be factors under veteran coaches Lon Kruger and Bruce Weber.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The league&rsquo;s depth from last season will be tested, though, as Baylor and Oklahoma State figure to take steps back after losing key personnel.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Previews of every Big 12 team and more are available in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.athlonsports.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_469&amp;products_id=23885" target="_blank">2014-15 Athlon Sports College Basketball Preview</a>.</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3 class="athlon-large-title" style="font-family:tungsten-semibold;font-size:42px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;padding:0;">2014-15 Big 12 Predictions</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>1. Kansas (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-2014-15-kansas-jayhawks-team-preview" target="_blank">team preview</a>)</strong></p><p><strong>Postseason projection: </strong>NCAA Elite Eight</p><p>Even without Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, the Jayhawks are Big 12 favorites &hellip; again. It&rsquo;s Perry Ellis&rsquo; time to shine.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>2. Texas (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-2014-15-texas-longhorns-team-preview" target="_blank">team preview</a>)</strong></p><p><strong>Postseason projection: </strong>NCAA Sweet 16</p><p>Only a year removed from the hot seat, Rick Barnes has a contender in Austin. Isaiah Taylor is a star.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>3. Iowa State (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-2014-15-iowa-state-cyclones-team-preview" target="_blank">team preview</a>)</strong></p><p><strong>Postseason projection: </strong>NCAA Sweet 16</p><p>The Cyclones lost two of the Big 12&rsquo;s top five players in DeAndre Kane and Melvin Ejim but welcome back Georges Niang.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>4. Oklahoma (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-2014-15-oklahoma-sooners-team-preview" target="_blank">team preview</a>)</strong></p><p><strong>Postseason projection:&nbsp;</strong> NCAA round of 32</p><p>Buddy Hield emerged as a star during his sophomore season and should be even better this year.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>5. Kansas State (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-2014-15-kansas-state-wildcats-team-preview" target="_blank">team preview</a>)</strong></p><p><strong>Postseason projection: </strong>NCAA round of 32</p><p>When Marcus Foster is on, the Wildcats are good enough to beat anyone in the league.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>6. Baylor</strong></p><p><strong>Postseason projection: </strong>NIT</p><p>Redshirt freshman Johnathan Motley has to come up big for the Bears down low.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>7. Oklahoma State</strong></p><p><strong>Postseason projection: </strong>NIT</p><p>Le&rsquo;Bryan Nash and Phil Forte are studs, but will that be enough to make the NCAA Tournament?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>8. West Virginia</strong></p><p><strong>Postseason projection: </strong>NIT</p><p>A rash of offseason defections will hurt the Mountaineers, but Bob Huggins did a nice job reloading.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>9. TCU&nbsp;</strong></p><p>The Horned Frogs were winless in the Big 12 last season; they won&rsquo;t be in 2014-15.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>10. Texas Tech</strong></p><p>Getting players to Lubbock &mdash; and keeping them there &mdash; has been tough for Tubby Smith.</p><p>2014-15 Big 12 Superlatives</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3 class="athlon-large-title" style="font-family:tungsten-semibold;font-size:42px;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0em;line-height:1em;margin:0;padding:0;">2014-15 Big 12 Superlatives</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Player of the Year: Perry Ellis, Kansas</strong></p><p>Lost in the talk of two of the top three NBA draft picks (Wiggins and Embiid) was the play of Ellis, who delivered on a breakout season. Ellis averaged 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds last season and should be in position to pace the Jayhawks again.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Best Defensive Player: Cameron Ridley, Texas</strong></p><p>The 6-9, 285-pound Ridley enjoyed a breakout season as a sophomore, averaging 11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds. He&rsquo;s been a force around the rim with 2.2 blocks per game.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Most Underrated Player: Monté Morris, Iowa State</strong></p><p>Morris finished last season with 134 assists to only 28 turnovers. Not bad for a freshman.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Newcomer of the Year: Cliff Alexander, Kansas</strong></p><p>Ellis has offensive versatility. Alexander will team with him in the Kansas frontcourt with a physical presence in the paint.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Top Coach: Bill Self, Kansas (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://athlonsports.com/college-basketball/college-basketball-ranking-big-12-coaches-2014-15" target="_blank">full Big 12 coach rankings</a>)</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>First-team All-Big 12</strong></p><p>G Juwan Staten, West Virginia</p><p>G Marcus Foster, Kansas State</p><p>G Buddy Hield, Oklahoma</p><p>F Georges Niang, Iowa State</p><p>F Perry Ellis, Kansas</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Second-team All-Big 12</strong></p><p>G Isaiah Taylor, Texas</p><p>G Kenny Chery, Baylor</p><p>G/F Le&rsquo;Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State</p><p>F Cliff Alexander, Kansas</p><p>F Jonathan Holmes, Texas</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Third-team All-Big 12</strong></p><p>G Kelly Oubre, Kansas</p><p>G Phil Forte, Oklahoma State</p><p>G Wayne Selden, Kansas</p><p>F Thomas Gipson, Kansas State</p><p>C Cameron Ridley, Texas</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-55 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">CBK Conferences:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/cbk-conferences/big-12">Big 12</a></div></div></div><div class="field-collection-container clearfix"><div class="field field-name-field-must-read-links field-type-field-collection field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Must Read Links:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"><div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links clearfix" class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-must-read-links">
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